HYDERABAD: In a sharp reaction to AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s outburst on whether TRS government supported Andhra’s demands for special category status and Polavaram, his Telangana counterpart and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday hit back at him, asserting that he and his party leaders on several occasions had made it clear that they backed the twin demands.
Chandrasekhar Rao addressing an election rally in Vikarabad on Monday, which is part of Chevella Lok Sabha constituency, said: “The TRS will win 16 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana and its ally MIM, the remaining one seat. YSRC will win a majority number of LS seats in AP. Together we will have about 35 to 36 seats. We will bring pressure on the Centre for special category status to AP,” he said.
Rao’s reaction came in the wake of Chandrababu Naidu heckling at YSRC chief on whether KCR had told him in his ear secretly that he would support SCS demand after Jagan referred to the TRS’ commitment for the twin demands of AP at election rallies.
Rao declared at Vikarabad: “From the dais of this large public meeting, I am telling Naidu that neither Telangana nor the TRS would do anything secretly like you do (Naidu). We have said we will support SCS demand. As far as Polavaram is concerned, we have never opposed it, except the submergence of Telangana villages. We wanted to have our share of Godavari waters,’’ he said.
TRS & YSRC will wage a battle for SCS: TS CM
Quoting a recent survey, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that the TRS would win 16 LS seats and YSRC a majority of seats in AP. ‘‘Together we will wage a battle for Spl status to AP,’’ he said.
Naidu will be defeated, YSRC will win: KCR
Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao slammed Naidu for taking out his name in the Assembly and during his election rallies frequently for cheap political gain. “Every day, Naidu is making disparaging comments against me. He is even saying that if he chose, he could unmake Hyderabad and that it would lose its glory forever. He had said that if he wanted to, he could make the historic city lose its brand value. But, the fact is that Naidu is going to lose in the elections.
He may not even get security deposit. Naidu Kahani Khtam Ayipoyindi (Naidu’s story has come to an end). I have latest survey report on Andhra Pradesh. Take it from me. Naidu and his team will be defeated. YSRC is winning with huge a majority,” the TRS chief said.
Pummelling Naidu further, he said: “We do not wish anything bad happen to people. It is your habit. We do not have a mean mentality like you. People of Telangana are not wanting in virtue as you think. You do not know anything. We have knowledge. We want AP to prosper. Even after both the states - AP and TS - used Godavari waters, around 2,600 tmcft of water is going waste into the sea. After taking the rightful share of Telangana in Godavari waters, we have no objection if AP used the remaining waters. We are wholeheartedly supporting Polavaram project,” Rao said.
Rao alleged that Naidu was speaking lies for reaping political benefit in the elections. “We are not against the people of Andhra Pradesh. But we surely have objection to a handful of AP leaders like Naidu, who is a rabble-rouser,” Rao said. Referring to the manifestos of Congress and the BJP, he said that both the parties had plagiarised contents relating to schemes from TRS manifesto. “I am proud today. The BJP released its manifesto. Both the Congress and the BJP copied Rythu Bandhu scheme,” the chief minister said.